REVIEW - Effective Project Management


Title:

Effective Project Management

Author:

Robert K. Wysocki, Robert Beck, Jr., David B. Crane

ISBN:

Publisher:

Wiley (2000)

Pages:

384pp

Reviewer:

Joe McCool

Reviewed:

February 2001

Rating:

★★☆☆☆


A possible career change has given me a decided interest in this subject of late; before this I was involved in Project Management but in an unstructured way and without resort to any software tools. In starting this book I made the mistake of assuming that it was concerned with computers and that it would therefore be entirely relevant and adequate to my task. It is not. Computers or software hardly get a mention.

Readers of C Vu will be disappointed in that the examples considered are 'Office Supplies Containment' and the 'Design of a Church Organ'! I would be much more interested in a book concerned with 'A New Sales Ledger' or 'A Web Based Order Processing Module'.

Another worry I have is lack of coverage of software tools in the project management process. Here only Microsoft Project gets a mention (an evaluation copy is included on the accompanying CD, along with a lot of other useful PDF files based on the text's case studies). Software tools are also considered in relation to mind-mapping, a useful concept according to the authors for small projects. (Having read Tony Buzan's original book on Mind Mapping, I remain dubious!) They get only a mention in regard to project reporting and calculating percentage completeness.

Having said that, the coverage is otherwise thorough, well presented and some useful concepts are discussed; utilisation of staff, top-down approaches, costing, project networking, monitoring and control. It might make a useful introduction to the subject, but is inadequate on its own.


Book cover image courtesy of Open Library.





Your Privacy

By clicking "Accept Non-Essential Cookies" you agree ACCU can store non-essential cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Current Setting: Non-Essential Cookies REJECTED


By clicking "Include Third Party Content" you agree ACCU can forward your IP address to third-party sites (such as YouTube) to enhance the information presented on this site, and that third-party sites may store cookies on your device.

Current Setting: Third Party Content EXCLUDED



Settings can be changed at any time from the Cookie Policy page.